NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Michigan DL Rayshaun Benny

Matt HolderJan 26, 2026

Rayshaun Benny is a solid overall athlete for a defensive tackle, with the quickness and some lateral movement skills to be an interesting Day 3 prospect in the 2026 NFL draft. Also, he put in the work this past offseason to add some size and strength, helping him improve against the run.

The 6'3", 300-pound defensive lineman was a 4-star recruit in the 2021 prep class, playing in three games as a true freshman at Michigan. He started to work into the defensive line rotation during the following season, participating in 13 contests and logging 13 total tackles.

As a junior, Benny developed into a regular contributor off the bench as part of the Wolverines' national championship-winning squad, collecting 27 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two passes defended. However, he missed the championship game after breaking his right fibula, which also caused him to miss the following spring's practices.

The Detroit native was stuck behind first-round picks Mason Graham (fifth overall) and Kenneth Grant (13th overall) the following year but still contributed. He had 29 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and two PDs while missing two games with an illness.

This past season, Benny finally became a full-time starter and racked up 35 tackles, three TFLs, 1.5 sacks and two PDs, which was good enough to earn a third-team All-Big Ten selection.

Matt Holder has been a part of B/R's Scouting Department for four seasons. He also writes about the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL draft for SB Nation's Silver and Black Pride, and co-hosts a YouTube Channel, Tape Don't Lie, providing film breakdowns and more draft prospect analysis.

Highlights

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Scroll down for the full scouting report.

Where He Wins

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Michigan Wolverines v Maryland Terrapins

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- Benny is a solid overall athlete, showing decent quickness and agility for a defensive tackle. This profile allows him to be effective when slanting and making offensive linemen miss to get penetration.

- Decent get-off. He reacts to the snap well and has some burst when one-gapping.

- Has the strength to stack and shed when he lands his hands as a run-defender.

- Showed a good arm-over move that he can defeat blocks with in the run game.

- Good bend and flexibility in his lower body to work flat down the line of scrimmage and make tackles for loss or short gains after getting penetration.

Areas of Improvement

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 09 Michigan at Indiana

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- Benny provided limited production throughout his collegiate career, even after becoming a starter.

- Plays with high pad-level and a narrow base, making it difficult for him to anchor and stay in his gap against combo and down blocks.

- At the point of attack, he could be more physical. Matters are compounded thanks to wide hand placement that exposes his chest.

- Subpar block recognition, leading to him getting trapped and caught off guard by down blocks or reached.

- Use of hands as a pass-rusher is a big work in progress, as he's often late and misses. He doesn't have a go-to pass-rush move.

- Potential medical red flags. In addition to the broken fibula in 2023, he was in a car accident during his senior year in high school that resulted in knee surgery.